Nosa Alekhuogie
EcoBank Nigeria Limited has launched its ‘Emerald Business Club,’ an electronic platform aimed at offering convenience, accessible banking services especially to small and medium size enterprises, local corporates and various clients in the commercial sector.
The initiative was launched in Lagos on Tuesday.
The Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Charles Kie, explained that the new product was for its commercial clients as well as to support SMEs.
He said; “We believe we have a responsibility in providing them with solutions that would help them take care of their businesses in an efficient and cost-effective ways.
“We made these solutions available to our customers to enable easy and fast payment, to enable speed in connections for transactions between customers and their merchants. We are providing them with the framework in which they can also interact with us.”
Also speaking at the event, the Head, Commercial Banking, Ecobank Nigeria, Mr. Rotimi Morohunfola, noted the need to make its customers have a competitive edge.
“We are launching this platform which we think is beneficial to our customers and of course would bring significant impact to their businesses.
“For our commercial clients, we have set out an Emerald Club and the whole idea is to better bond with our customers, give them information about business opportunities across Africa.
“It would also provide access to markets, finance in partnership with Development Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Industry and Ikooba Technologies,” he said.
On his part, the Group Head, SME, Ecobank Nigeria, Patrick Egounlety, while speaking about the new club explained that, the banking industry has dramatically changed and as such banks needed to go beyond the provision of financial services only.
“In 2014, Ecobank launched its SME Club initiative which also served as a platform for adding value to SMEs through capacity building, networking, access to markets, access to finance, products and services. In doing all these, the banks objective was to improve customers’ satisfaction.
“With lessons on what did not work and taking into consideration, customers’ feedbacks and needs, it was decided to revamp SMEs Club and rename it Emerald Business Club with more features and more benefits.
“The most significant change of the extension of the club is the Zero maintenance fees, fast track transactions for emerald club members, networking seminars and business forums.
“The main objective of Emerald Business Club is to occupy the domestic private sector, local corporates and SMEs.”
Other benefits of being a member of this club include access to low cost funding at low interest rates, capacity building, SME networking, fasttrack transactions, product building, access to financial advisory, among others.
